The Blog of Theology and Questions

Saturday, September 10, 2016

What is hell like? If you’re seen the Keanu Reeves Constantine, it’s a fiery place filled with animated skeletons. Playing through Monkey Island, you discover it has mushrooms. But more important than the physical attributes of hell, let’s talk about purpose.

Why does hell exist? It’s the place created for Satan and his fallen angels when they were kicked out of heaven after rebelling against God (based on this odd little passage in Isaiah, which we can discuss more if you want). It’s important to note that God did not create hell with the goal of sending people there.

Hell, then, is a place of torment but not because God is constantly turning the torture screws. Instead, it’s a place of horror because it is separated from God’s grace. I really like how C.S. Lewis depicts hell in The Great Divorce: A place full of selfish, mean people who keep moving further away from one another. It’s lonely and horrible because the people there are lonely and horrible. And if I think about myself, there are times that that is exactly where I’d choose to be.

Is hell eternal? That makes the most sense to me. Any eternal being that does not want to hang out with God has to be somewhere that is not with God… and that place would be hell.

So hell exists. It’s where people go who don’t want to be with God. It’s horrible because it is devoid of love and grace.